Little Fingers Montessori Nursery 2Ofsted inspection, 16 Oct 2013

Inspection date

Previous inspection date 16/10/2013 05/06/2013

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early years provision

This inspection: 3 Previous inspection: 3 How well the early years provision meets the needs of the range of children who attend The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children 3 The effectiveness of the leadership and management of the early years provision 3

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This provision is satisfactory

 Children make generally sound progress in all areas of learning due to adults' positive support and warm interaction.  Positive and friendly relationships with parents make them feel valued and supported, and they are informed about their children's day in the setting.  Children enjoy snack and meal times and learn the importance of healthy eating.

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It is not yet good because

 Occasionally, some child initiated activities for the older children lack focus, and evaluation of these activities is not successful in making improvements.  Some of the planned activities for children to do arts and crafts have too much staff direction and do not allow children to express themselves creatively.  The self-evaluation process is not fully effective in identifying the weaker areas of the pre-school. As a result, staff are not always successful in making changes to improve the outcomes for children further.

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Information about this inspection

Inspections of registered early years provision are:  scheduled at least once in every inspection cycle – the current cycle ends on 31 July

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Information about this inspection

 scheduled more frequently where Ofsted identifies a need to do so, for example where provision was previously judged inadequate  brought forward in the inspection cycle where Ofsted has received information that suggests the provision may not be meeting the legal requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage or where assessment of the provision identifies a need for early inspection  prioritised where we have received information that the provision is not meeting the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage and which suggests children may not be safe  scheduled at the completion of an investigation into failure to comply with the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage.

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Information about this inspection

The provision is also registered on the voluntary and compulsory parts of the Childcare Register. This report includes a judgment about compliance with the requirements of that register.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector spoke with the registered person, manager, staff, parents and children at appropriate times throughout the inspection.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed children engaged in activities in the baby room and the pre- school rooms.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector sampled records and documentation relating to children's progress and development, safeguarding, staff suitability, behaviour management and risk assessments.  The inspector viewed all areas of the setting.

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Information about the setting

Little Fingers Montessori Nursery 2 registered in 2012. It is one of two nurseries run by an individual provider. The nursery operates from a converted house in a residential part of Dulwich, within the London Borough of Southwark. Children are accommodated over two floors, with the baby unit on the ground floor and three rooms for children aged two years and older on the first floor. There is a secure garden for outdoor play. The nursery is open each weekday from 8am to 6.30pm all year round. Children attend for a variety of sessions.

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Information about the setting

The nursery is registered on the on the Early Years Register and both the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. There are currently 18 children on roll in the early years age range. The nursery is in receipt of funding for the provision of free early education for children ages three and four. The nursery currently supports children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and children who speak English as an additional language.

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Information about the setting

There are six members of staff who work with the children. Of these, four hold a recognised National Vocational Qualification in early years at level 3. The nursery operates in line with the Montessori philosophy.

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To further improve the quality of the early years provision the provider should:

 extend the evaluation of child-initiated activities for the older children to provide appropriate focus on all experiences to fully promote children's learning

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To further improve the quality of the early years provision the provider should:

 review the organisation of some activities aimed at promoting children's creativity to offer greater encouragement for them to explore their own ideas

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To further improve the quality of the early years provision the provider should:

 develop more rigorous and effective systems for self-evaluation through seeking the views of all staff, children and their parents to identify areas for improvement; and by devising a clear improvement plan to identify key priorities.

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who attend

Children enjoy a range of experiences to support their development across all areas of learning. They are making satisfactory progress towards the early learning goals and the quality of teaching is sound. Staff engage well with the children, with most staff asking open-ended questions to challenge children's thinking and extend their communication and language skills. For example, while reading a book on spiders staff ask children 'where do spiders live' and 'look at the different sizes'. This helps the children to gain confidence speaking in front of others as part of their personal development. Babies have fun as they explore and investigate with different sensory materials. They gain control over their movements as they learn how to clamber on and off the climbing frame. Staff enthusiastically babble back to the babies as they are busy playing, helping the youngest children learn to communicate and develop early language skills.

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who attend

Children make good use of the outdoor play spaces. They have fun playing physical games and their coordination is developing well. They confidently climb, operate and steer ride- on toys and run around with their friends. Children also benefit from observing the plants, insects and other features, which help them, learn about the natural world. Children receive regular opportunities to engage in messy play and to explore different art materials. However, at times, staff plan creative activities too rigidly and offer too much direction. For example, they sometimes provide children with pictures to colour in during French lessons. This does not encouraging children to explore their own ideas or to express their individuality.

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who attend

Staff have worked hard to improve the assessment arrangements since the last inspection. They carry out regular observations of children's learning and complete an achievement record for each child. Children's learning is then summarised on a regular basis and shared with parents. The required progress checks for two-year-olds are completed in a similar style, including a written parental comment. Staff use information gathered through observation and assessment to plan for the next steps in children's learning and development. Consequently, children experience sufficient challenge in their play and make satisfactory progress in their learning.

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The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children

Children arrive with enthusiasm and move freely around each area of the pre-school making choices from the resources provided. The key person system helps staff to form a sound relationship with the children attending. This provides a secure, familiar face to promote children's security. As a result, children feel comfortable and generally confident. All children have opportunities to learn about living a healthy lifestyle. They have a wide range of healthy snacks, such as bananas, apples, orange and sultanas. Children confidently make choices from the selection of pre prepared snacks. They show good hand and eye coordination as they pour their water and enjoy the social group with the adult and other children. The babies have regular opportunities to have drinks, as staff remind them during the day. Children show an understanding of why they must wash their hands before eating and after using the bathroom. Children independently use the toilet on the

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The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children

first floor and are reminded by staff before going out into the garden. Nappy changing procedures help to ensure babies are clean and comfortable. Any accidents by children out of nappies are changed discretely. They are recorded both on the monitoring sheets and in the care diaries for parents.

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The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children

All of the children behave appropriately and respond well to the positive praise and encouragement given by staff. They are familiar with the rules of the setting to safeguard their welfare and show a caring approach to others. Children are reminded to say 'thank you' and 'please' when playing and at meal times. They are able to make their own decisions, such as whether they want to eat snack or not. Children who are less confident are asked whether they would like more lunch, which staff are happy to oblige. This helps supports children's developing independence. Gentle reminders from staff explain to children about sharing and taking turns as they play. They use a consistent approach to the way they manage children's behaviour. Satisfactory arrangements exist to prepare children for their move to school. Staff work with parents to ensure that children feel ready, for example, by talking positively about school life. Staff prepare useful transfer

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The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children

records on children's interests and abilities for their new teachers.

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provision

Staff have a satisfactory knowledge and understanding of the Early Years Foundation Stage and how to meet the needs of each child. The nursery meets the requirements of the ratios regarding the number of staff working with the children and the number of qualified staff working within the nursery. They are not left alone with any of the children, in line with the nursery's robust vetting procedures to keep children safe. Staff understand their role in reporting any child protection concerns, following the correct referral procedures. They carry out risk assessments and they log any accidents or incidents to minimise hazards. The staff team follow the nursery's policies and procedures to safeguard children and satisfactorily support their learning and development within the educational programmes. However, systems to evaluate child-initiated play for the older children attending are not as effective. Consequently, some activities can lack focus and

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provision

purpose for those children during the day.

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provision

Overall, self-evaluation processes are evolving, as the management team understand the areas to improve from the action plan devised by the local authority. However, the system to monitor the nurseries effectiveness remains incomplete. All staff have appraisals to support them with their ongoing professional development and attend staff meetings. The nursery has suitable partnerships with other professionals and agencies. They seek additional support for children when needed. Staff share relevant information with local schools when children are preparing to move on to school. This supports continuity in children's care and learning.

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provision

Partnership with parents is a particular strength of the nursery as they have recently introduced care diaries for babies. Parents benefit from a variety of communication, such as newsletters, meetings and daily verbal feedback. Parents express how much they value daily discussions with their child's key person and meetings where they look at children's learning journeys and discuss children's progress. These positive strategies enable parents to share ideas and work with the key person to support their child's progress.

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The Childcare Register

The requirements for the compulsory part of the Childcare Register are Met The requirements for the voluntary part of the Childcare Register are Met

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Grade Judgement Description

Grade 1 Outstanding Outstanding provision is highly effective in meeting the needs of all children exceptionally well. This ensures that children are very well prepared for the next stage of their learning. Grade 2 Good Good provision is effective in delivering provision that meets the needs of all children well. This ensures children are ready for the next stage of their learning. Grade 3 Satisfactory Satisfactory provision is performing less well than expectations in one or more of the key areas. It requires improvement in order to be good. Grade 4 Inadequate Provision that is inadequate requires significant improvement and/or enforcement action. The provision is failing to give children an acceptable standard of early years education and/or is not meeting the safeguarding and welfare requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. It will be inspected again within 12 months of the date of this inspection.

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Grade Judgement Description

Met The provision has no children on roll. The inspection judgement is that the provider continues to meet the requirements for registration. Not met The provision has no children on roll. The inspection judgement is that the provider does not meet the requirements for registration.

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Inspection

This inspection was carried out by Ofsted under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 on the quality and standards of provision that is registered on the Early Years Register. The registered person must ensure that this provision complies with the statutory framework for children’s learning, development and care, known as the Early Years Foundation Stage.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY453279 Local authority Southwark Inspection number 939119 Type of provision Full-time provision Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 5 Total number of places 35 Number of children on roll 18 Name of provider Parveen Beresford Date of previous inspection 05/06/2013 Telephone number 07971572346

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Setting details

set out in the guidance ‘Complaints procedure: raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted’, which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk.

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Type of provision

For the purposes of this inspection the following definitions apply:

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Type of provision

Full-time provision is that which operates for more than three hours. These are usually known as nurseries, nursery schools and pre-schools and must deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage. They are registered on the Early Years Register and pay the higher fee for registration.

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Type of provision

Sessional provision operates for more than two hours but does not exceed three hours in any one day. These are usually known as pre-schools, kindergartens or nursery schools and must deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage. They are registered on the Early Years Register and pay the lower fee for registration.

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Type of provision

Childminders care for one or more children where individual children attend for a period of more than two hours in any one day. They operate from domestic premises, which are usually the childminder’s own home. They are registered on the Early Years Register and must deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage.

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Type of provision

Out of school provision may be sessional or full-time provision and is delivered before or after school and/or in the summer holidays. They are registered on the Early Years Register and must deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage. Where children receive their Early Years Foundation Stage in school these providers do not have to deliver the learning and development requirements in full but should complement the experiences children receive in school. achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children's social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, work-based learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for looked after children,

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Type of provision

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Type of provision

T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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